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J. E. GILSON. INTERNAL comausnow ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.30, 1914.

1,3 16,229. Patented Sept. 16,1919.

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JOHN E. GILSON, OF PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1c, 1919.

Application filed April 30, 1914. Serial No. 835,373.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JOHN E. GILSON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Port Washington, in the county of Ozaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which thefollowing is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to pro vide an internal combustion engine with a novel form of magneto driving connection whereby an oscillating movement of the armature of the magneto is produced at a desired speed and at the proper time, either while the engine is running normally or when it is being started by a rack and pinion driving connection actuated by a cam on the cam shaft.

Heretofore it has been found feasible to drive a magneto from the half time gear on the crank shaft at twice the speed of the crank shaft, and various means have been proposed for timingthe spark to correspond with the direction of turning of the engine to produce the spark at the peak of the current wave generated by the magneto and have both occur at the proper time in the cycle of operation of the engine to produce the best results. On account of the usual method of starting a stationary combustion engine by reversin the direction of movement of the crank s aft after having moved it in the running direction to a sufiicient extent to cause an explosive charge to be drawn into the cylinder, and thus in the re verse movement produce a partial compression of the explosive charge, it is necessary to produce ignition during such backward stroke of the piston, at a position of the parts different from their position at the time the spark is produced during normal running. With battery ignition it is a simple matter to produce the ignition spark whenever desired, but witha gear connected magneto there are certain limitations to thetiming of the spark'owin to the fact that'the urrent generated b t e magneto. is alternating current, an to be efieetive the engine with comparatively low speed.

The quick movement of the magneto armature necessary for this purpose is accomplished through a rack and pinion driving connection actuated by a cam on the cam shaft of the engine. 7

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the internal combustion engine as herein claimed and all equivalents. i

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in the different views:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of an internal combustion engine constructed in accordance with this invention, with the full throw of the crank shaft shown in dotted lines, and the position of the crank on producing the spark for starting the engine being shown in full lines, and the cylinder and piston being shown in dotted lines; and,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts.

In these drawings 10 indicates the crank shaft of the combustion engine and 11 is the crank thereof, there being a half time gear 12 on a cam shaft 13 meshing with a pinion 14 on the crank shaft 10, as usual, to drive the cam shaft at half the speed of the crank shaft. Besides having a cam 15 to actuate a push rod 16 of a valve mechanism 17, as usual, the cam shaft 13 alsohas a cam 18 engaging the roller on the end of a push rod 19 which is suitably mounted in a slide bearing 20 and is held in its engagement with the cam by a coil spring 21. A rack bar 22 is adjustably connected with the pushrod 19 by means of a cam coupling 23, varying the eifective lengthpf themagneto flebuatifig' member COIHPI'lSIhg the push rod 19 and the rack bar 22. The rack teeth on the outer end of the rack bar 22 mesh with the pinion 24 on the armature shaft of a magneto 25, and a flanged roller 26 supports the end of the rack bar to hold it in mesh with the pinion. The magneto is shown with a pair of notches or registration marks 27, one on the armature and the other stationary, which indicate the position of the armature at the time of the developmentof the peak of the current wave, and at which time it is desired to operate the spark ng mechanism for producing the ignition spark.

The rack bar 22 carries a bracket 28 in which is pivotally mounted an igniter arm 29 having the usual lifting cam surface30 engaging a stationary lug 31 on theignition plate 32 of the ignition mechamsm, not shown, and also having the hardened metal tooth 33 to engage the swinging finger 34: of the ignition mechanism and produce the operation thereof always at the time of the development of the peak of the current wave generated by the magneto.

The position of the parts for starting the engine in operation is shown in Fig. 1, the

crank shaft having been turned from the full line position to the dotted line portion thereof to draw an explosive charge into the cylinder, and then having been backed to the full line position to compress the charge. The parts in this figure are shown in the position in which a slight further movement of the crank shaft in the direction of its arrow will produce ignition, the tooth 33 being about ready to leave the finger 34 and per mit it to snap to operate the ignition mechanism, and the registration marks 27'being nearly in their registering position, indicating the attainment of the peak of the wave of current generated thereby. Upon the explosion ofthe charge thus compressed the engine is started in its normal operation, and then the adjusting lever 23 is thrown to the dotted line position to increase the'effective length of the combined operating means consisting of the push rod 19, the rack bar 22 and the lever 29, and thereby advance the timing of the ignition to occur earlier in the cycle of operation, to comply with the requirement of advancing the spark when the engine is running at high speed, as well recognized in the art of gas engine operation.

The oscillation of the armature of the magneto is effective for producing a wave of current of sufficient intensity to produce ignition even at the comparatively low speed of the parts in starting the engine, and as the rack bar is directly connected with the operating means for the ignition mechanism the peak of the wave of current generated will always be reached at the instant the ignition mechanism is operated whether the direction of movement of the engine is reversed for starting or is the direction of normal running.

It is found in practice that the quick oscillation of the armature of the magneto is just as efficient for the normal operation thereof as the rotary movement when gear driven directly to the half time shaft 13, and that for starting it is more efficient because of the assured rapidity of movement thereof during the slow turning movement of the crank shaft.

What I claim as new and desire to secure and means on the rack bar for operating the ignition mechanism.

3. In an internalcombustion engine having a cam shaft, a magneto and an ignition mechanism, a sliding rack bar having engagement with a cam on the cam shaft, a pinion on the armature of the magneto meshingwith the rack bar, and means on the rack bar for operating the ignition mechan1sm.

a. In an internal combustion engine hav-' ing a half time shaft, a magneto and an ig nition mechanism, a means operated from the half time shaft for oscillating the armature of the magneto and for operating the ignition mechanism, said means being adjustable for varying the timing of the production of the peak of the wave of current generated by the magneto and the simultaneous operation of the ignition mechanism.

5. In an internal combustion engine having a cam shaft, a magneto and an ignition mechanism, a spring retracted push rod having engagement with a cam on the cam shaft for reciprocation thereby, a rack bar having an adjustable connection with the' push rod, a pinion on the armature of the magneto meshing with the rack bar, and means carried by the rack bar for operating the ignition mechanism.

6. In an internal combustion engine having a cam shaft, a magneto and an ignition mechanism, a spring retracted push rod having ngagement with a cam on the cam shaft for reciprocation thereby, a rack bar connected with the push rod, a pinion on the armature of the magneto meshing with the the ignition mechanism on such outward rack bar whereby the armature is caused to movement of the push rod. 10 oscillate with the reeiprocations of the push In testimony whereof I affix my signature rod to have its armature core separated in presence of two witnesses.

from the pole pieces to generate a Wave of JOHN E. GILSON. current flow on the outward movement of Witnesses:

the push rod away from the cam shaft, and KATHERINE HoL'r,

means carried by the rack bar for operating R. S. C. CALDWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of intents,

v Washington, D. G. r 

